Like A Rose
by texasbelle91
Summary: "It took a while to get here, it's been a long hard road and I'm still bouncing back, heaven only knows, how I came out Like a Rose" Sequel to "Six Years" BETHYL!
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This is the first chapter to the "Six Years" sequel. I know it is painfully short but I wanted to take things slow.**_

_**Let me know what y'all think!**_

* * *

Chapter 1

* * *

_Six months later..._

The weather had turned warm again and the walkers became impossible to avoid while they were on runs.

They had to abandon their safe house a month ago when a sudden wild fire got too close.

In six months time, Beth had shown everyone she was a force to be reckoned with. She was stronger than she was before and though she slowly began to believe there were still good people again, she wasn't as trusting as she had been.

Her relationship with Daryl was stronger than ever and they had all become a closer family since her return.

She was once again their light. She was singing and laughing and full of happiness.

Sure, she may have been overcompensating at times but no one called her on it.

* * *

They should be used to moving around by now, most of them are, but it's harder to do when there's more children with them than before and another one on the way.

Number six to be exact.

Well, number six for Daryl and Beth.

They found out she was pregnant a few weeks before they had to leave the safe house and since then, they've been searching for somewhere that could possibly be permanent.

Daryl, Rick and Maggie have been hell bent on finding a place. They want Beth and the baby to be comfortable and safe but they don't want a repeat of what happened with Lori.

* * *

"I think I know of a place," Maggie blurted out.

Everyone was gathered around a fire eating what little bit of meat they had.

Most of them were giving some of theirs to kids while Daryl and Rick gave theirs to Beth.

Usually she would tell them no and make them eat it but tonight she was extremely hungry so she didn't bother protesting.

"Where do you think we can go?" Rosita asked Maggie.

Maggie looked at everyone and shook her head, "There's two places I can think of. Our farm and the prison."

The group fell silent at Maggie's words.

"Maggie, you can't be serious," Glenn spoke up.

"Yes, I am. Those were the only two places we felt safe," she argued.

Beth didn't say anything when Maggie suggested the farm and the prison. She sat there quietly and stared at her food.

She lost her appetite as she listened to everyone arguing and talking about which would be the safest and the easiest to repair.

She jumped up when she felt her heart start to race and her hands started shaking.

She looked at everyone and they stared back as she backed away from them slowly and the images of her home being overrun and her daddy being killed flashed through her head.

"No, no, no," she whispered to herself.

_This cannot be happening again!_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: This chapter is kind of sappy. I'm trying to give them some happiness as opposed to all the pain from "Six Years". There will be a little action in the next chapter though.**_

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

Beth woke up the next mornin' feeling like everything was a bad dream.

How could her sister think it was a good idea to go back to the farm or the prison?

Beth certainly didn't want to live at either place. She didn't want to remember anything that had happened there.

The sun hadn't come up yet and the kids were all asleep so she just laid there staring at the roof of the tent.

Surely Daryl wouldn't drag her back to those place or would he?

She prayed he wouldn't.

* * *

Daryl sat on the hood of one of the cars on watch.

He kept rackin' his brain, tryin' to find an answer as to what he should do.

Everyone seemed to agree they should make their way back to the prison or the Greene farm.

He couldn't carry Beth back there or could he?

He really didn't want to carry her back to the prison but maybe they could go back to the farm.

It would be someplace safe for all of them and more importantly it would be a safe place for Beth to give birth.

That's all he really wanted. A safe place to raise his kids and be with his family.

There was no way in hell he was gonna go off on his own with a pregnant wife and five kids. He needed his family and that's exactly what everyone is to him.

* * *

"Hey," Beth's sweet voice made him smile. Even after all these years, she still had the same sweet voice that Daryl loved. That was a part of his Beth that didn't change.

He held out his hand to help her up onto the car.

When she was seated next to him, she leaned her head on his shoulder and kept his hand in hers.

"What're we gonna do?" She asked softly.

Daryl shrugged and squeezed her hand.

"What'd you wanna do?"

"I don't think I can go back but I'll go wherever you want to," she smiled at him.

"We're gon' talk 'bout it today. Make plans on who's gon' go and check things out. Think they said somethin' 'bout Abraham goin' ta see what kinda safety shit he can rig up and Eugene goin' ta see if he can fix up some shit too," he said to her.

"I think it's a good idea for them to go. Daryl, I don't wanna go back to either but if I had to choose, I'd choose the farm. Daddy would've wanted us to be there. He would've wanted his grandkids to grow up there."

Daryl squeezed her hand again and turned to kiss her forehead, "We'll figure somethin' out, baby. 'Til then...,"

Beth cut him off when she pulled him closer and into a kiss.

"I love ya," he whispered to her.

"I love you, too."

* * *

Later that evening, everyone gathered for a meeting.

It was decided that Maggie, Carl, Michonne, Abraham and Eugene would go to the Greene farm to see what condition it was in and after they returned, they'd wait a few days before sending another group to check out the prison.

Beth expected Daryl to go to the farm when they asked him to but she was relieved when he turned down the offer.

The group would head out towards the Greene farm before noon the next morning.

* * *

Daryl watched Beth as she interacted with all the kids.

That was somethin' he knew he would never get tired of seein'.

The only thing he hated and could live without seein' again is the way their kids and Beth reacted to certain things.

They've all been together for over six months now but the kids are still a little skittish around everyone except Beth. They all flinch away from Judith, little Beth and even Caroline and himself. Though they are slowly getting better.

Watching them now, he's actually surprised at how well Caroline adjusted to everything. Since the beginning, she knew who here daddy was and knew he would protect her and that's exactly what Daryl has done and will continue to do.

* * *

He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't see Beth leave the kids and walk over towards him.

In fact, he didn't notice her until she sat down in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"So, I was thinkin'," she said.

"Uh oh, that cain't be good," he smirked.

She smiled and playfully slapped his arm.

"Okay, what were ya thinkin'?" He asked.

"Well," she started, "we're not gonna know if we're havin' a boy or girl 'til I have the baby and I was thinkin' 'bout names."

"And what kinda names ya been thinkin' 'bout?"

She shrugged and looked towards the kids, "I never got to name any of them except Caroline. Ya know I love them all but even if I had of been able to name them, I couldn't have."

"Why's that?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"Caroline is named after my mama and grandma, Caroline Annette. I always wanted to name my kids after people who mean somethin' to me and I don't think I could've done that with them."

Daryl nodded his head understandingly and let her continue.

"But with you, I want this baby's name to mean somethin' to both of us. We don't have to use these names, we can use whatever you want but I like Hershel or Shawn for a boy and for a girl, I'm not really sure but I've always loved the name Savannah."

Daryl smiled and kissed her, "I like all those names jus' fine."

"Really?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I think he should be named after yer daddy. He was a good man."

Beth was excited to hear him say that. She shifted in his lap so she straddled his legs and kissed him then laid her head on his shoulder.

She didn't want anything more than for him to hold her and make her feel safe and loved so that's what he did.

If he could, he'd hold onto her for the rest of his life.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. Once again, this chapter is kind of all over the place.**_

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

The group had been gone for almost a week and everyone left at the camp was getting anxious but none more so than Beth.

Beth had been trying to teach the kids with some text books they had found but she was having a hard time concentrating so she gave up on it for now and let the children play.

She wanted so much to go home to the farm and the more she thought about it, the more she wouldn't mind going back to the prison.

They both held bad memories for her but she felt she could overlook those in order to give her children a safe home.

One thing she thought about the most was the idea that maybe she could find comfort in those places. A comfort she needed but no one could ever give her, not even Daryl.

"Mommy, mommy!" James shouted as he ran towards her. She held out her arms and scooped him up and hugged him tightly.

One thing that she found that kept her mind off of the past was watching all the kids. She thought a lot about how they all had their own personalities and how they would be when they got older.

They all seemed to be adapting well to the constant changes and whatever else life threw at them. As far as she could tell, none of them showed signs that something was wrong and that was just one more thing she had begun to fear. There was one child in particular that worried her and the others though.

Everyone had noticed that Mary-Anne was becoming more withdrawn than she had been a few months ago.

They knew she hadn't suffered as much as Caroline had and she hadn't seen as much as Judith had. But there was something very worrisome about her behavior.

They had determined there were problems with Mary-Anne, she just didn't understand things the way the others did.

* * *

Several members of their family had expressed their concerns about Mary-Anne's behavior to Daryl over the last few weeks but they were all afraid of mentioning it to Beth.

She was Beth's daughter and she would do whatever she had to to protect her. Even if that meant dismissing the concerns the others had.

Daryl had promised he would talk to Beth about Mary-Anne but he found himself unable to do so several times.

* * *

Though he knew he had to bring it up, he waited until things had settled down and all the kids were in bed.

He was sure Beth's reaction wouldn't be good and he didn't want a confrontation. The last thing he needed was for the kids to think he didn't love them and for them to hear their mom and dad arguing, which he knew was very possible.

* * *

He pulled Beth aside and asked her to follow him away from the camp.

As they walked, he squeezed her hand to the point she tried to pull away.

"Daryl?" Beth asked.

He grunted in response.

"Daryl, you're hurting my hand," she whispered. He wasn't trying to hurt her, he just never wanted to let her go.

He loosened his grip on her hand and pulled her close to him.

"Ya know I love ya an' I love tha kids, right?"

Beth looked at him and smiled.

"Of course I know that. I love you too and so do the kids."

He looked away and took a ragged breath, "Beth, there's somethin' we need ta talk 'bout."

Beth pulled her hand away from him, crossed her arms and leaned back on a tree.

Daryl was momentarily worried that she thought he was leaving her or some shit like that.

"I know what this is about," she spoke softly but Daryl didn't miss her voice crack, "I know somethin's wrong with her but I...I don't know what."

Daryl let out a sigh of relief and then tried to explain himself when Beth looked at him angrily.

"Ever'one's worried 'bout 'er. I am, too."

"Daryl, I don't know what to do with her. She's my baby. I wanna help her."

"I know," he pulled Beth into his arms, "I know ya do. She's a kid but she's been through a lot. Ever'one has but we need ta find a way ta help 'er 'fore she gets worse."

"It's probably her way of dealin' with everything," Beth reasoned, "she just needs time. I'm sure she'll get better."

Daryl closed his eyes. He thought that maybe Beth would understand what he was trying to say and that she would see Mary-Anne needed some kind of help but the more they talked, the more he saw that Beth wasn't seein' things the way they all were. And he couldn't blame her for that.

"Beth, she needs help. Maybe ya should talk to 'er an' see if she tells ya what's wrong. Maybe that's all she needs. But if she gets worse, we'll have to find her some kind of medication...," Daryl was interrupted when Beth slapped him.

"She doesn't need any medication. She's not sick! She's a just a kid, Daryl."

"Bethie, I know but she beginnin' ta act like you did when we got ya back."

Beth pushed him away from her. She didn't want to think of the possibility of that. There's no way her daughter was that messed up. Mary-Anne had been treated better than any of the other kids at that camp so there was no way she was as messed up as they all were thinkin'.

Beth stopped herself from sayin' anything out loud when she realized what she was thinkin'. How could she resent her own daughter? And to think it was because of something she had no control over made her sick.

She hated the fact that her daughter had been treated better than her and the others but she hated herself more for thinkin' like that.

Maybe she had somehow done something or said something to make Mary-Anne act the way she was. Maybe it was her fault.

She looked at Daryl through the tears in her eyes but couldn't speak a word of what she was thinkin' or felt. What would he think of her if she did?

She did the only thing she could do, she started walkin' away but stopped and wiped her eyes.

"Daryl, tell everyone to back off. Mary-Anne is my daughter. I'll make sure she's fine."

"Beth, she's _our_ daughter and ever'one has a right ta say what they think. We're all family."

She shook her head, "No, she's _my_ daughter. Not yours."


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: I'm sorry for the wait. Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint though.**_

* * *

Chapter 4

* * *

Beth regretted what she had said to Daryl the moment the words fell from her lips but she couldn't take it back.

She had to find someone to talk to. Someone who would understand how she was feelin'.

Everyone in their family had all been through their own troubles but only one person had been through something that would be helpful to Beth.

* * *

Beth spotted Rick off to the side of the camp by himself so she made her way over to him and sat down.

"How ya feelin', Elizabeth?" He asked without lookin' at her.

"I don't know."

Rick turned to look at her, "What's wrong, Bethie?"

"I need someone to talk to and I don't wanna talk to Daryl about this. I'm not even sure if you'd wanna talk about it."

"What's it about?"

"Judith, Lori and Mary-Anne."

Rick sighed. He didn't want to talk about Lori but if it meant it would somehow help Beth, he would.

"Go ahead," he told her.

Beth bit her lip and tried to find the right words before she spoke.

"When...when Lori died, it took you awhile to even look at Judith. I remember wonderin' if you blamed her for Lori's death. Did you? How did you feel towards Judith?"

"Yeah," Rick couldn't lie to Beth, "I did blame her for Lori's death but she didn't kill her. I didn't want to be near her. I tried to hate her but I couldn't."

He looked at Beth and could see she was having trouble with what he said.

"Why do you ask, Bethie?"

"I asked because I...I know somethin's wrong with Mary-Anne but I think it's my fault. I love her but I realized I also resent her for the way she was treated back at that camp. She didn't get treated as badly as the others. I feel like I may have somehow done or said somethin' and she knows how I feel."

"I know how hard it is to think that but you can't help it. If you think she's actin' this way because of you, then you need to show her you love her."

Rick explained to Beth how he got over the resentment he had held towards Judith and how she could get over hers towards Mary-Anne.

Beth found it comforting that someone understood how she felt and wouldn't judge her for it.

She laid her head on Rick's shoulder and he put his arm around her.

"Thank you, Rick. You're the best substitute dad a girl could ask for."

He kissed the top of her head, "No substitute. I'm the real thing."

Though they both missed Hershel and they knew Rick could never take his place, they both smiled. Rick had become like a second dad to her and was there when she needed his advice, just like her daddy was.

* * *

Daryl gave Beth her space.

He didn't want to admit it but when she said Mary-Anne was her daughter, not his, he felt like his heart broke.

He knew she didn't mean it, she wasn't trying to hurt him. She was just trying to work things out.

He sat down by the fire to watched the kids play and was immediately attacked by Caroline.

She giggled and threw her arms around his neck.

He pulled her into his lap and hugged her.

Caroline may have been the oldest of his and Beth's kids but when it came to being around Daryl, she was his baby and if he was being honest with himself, she was his favorite. Though you'd never know by watching him with all the kids.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"Is mommy sick again?"

Daryl's eyes began lookin' over the camp and Beth was nowhere to be found.

He felt himself beginning to panic. He knew what Caroline meant by "sick" and he prayed to God that Beth wasn't "sick" again.

He gave Caroline a reassuring hug and told her not to worry and that her mommy was fine.

He hated lyin' to his little girl but he didn't want her to be scared.

* * *

After talking with Rick, Beth asked Mary-Anne to come with her and they went just outside the camp to talk.

Mary-Anne was hesitant at first. Even after all this time together, she wasn't sure if she could trust her mother, she obviously couldn't trust her father back at that camp.

Beth listened intently as Mary-Anne spoke.

She could tell there was something she wasn't being told but she didn't push it.

She knew Mary-Anne would tell her when she was ready.

When they'd finished their talk, Beth took Mary-Anne's hand and led her back to camp where they found Daryl with his crossbow raised.

"Where tha fuck'd ya go?" he asked as he lowered the crossbow.

"I went to have a talk with Mary-Anne."

* * *

Later on that night, the kids had all been put to bed and the adults were gathered around the fire.

Beth was tired but she didn't want to be alone.

She placed her hand on Daryl's before standing up and gave it a little tug.

Daryl gripped her hand and followed her to their tent.

"I'm sorry for what I said."

He didn't say anything, he put his arms around her waist and pulled her as close to him as he could.

* * *

The next morning they awoke to the sounds of someone screaming.

Maggie, Carl, Michonne, Abraham and Eugene had all returned from the Greene farm.

The screaming was coming from Michonne who had broken her ankle and was bein' carried by Abraham and Carl.

Beth clung to Daryl as they all awaited news about the farm.

"It's a little run down but it can be fixed," Maggie said happily.

"Yeah, Eugene can fix up some kinda power source and it won't be that hard to fix a fence around the property," Abraham added.

Everyone was happy to find out they could be returning to the farm but they still needed to check out the prison before they decided which would be a better home.

* * *

As before, Daryl didn't volunteer to go to the prison.

He didn't want to leave Beth and the kids.

They wouldn't be leaving for a few days so now that they were back, Daryl decided he and Beth needed some alone time. Away from everyone.

He let Rick know where they'd be going just in case something were to happen.

Daryl led Beth down a long path through the woods. It led them to a different spot at the creek then they had been using.

Daryl spread a blanket out on the ground and watched as Beth laid down on it.

He laid down beside her and rested his hand on her stomach.

Neither of them spoke. They just laid there enjoying the silence and the fact that they were together.

* * *

Daryl couldn't stop thinking about something Beth had said.

He was sure she was right about Hershel wanting his grandchildren to be raised on the family farm.

If they all decided the prison was a better option, Daryl decided he wouldn't take his family there.

He knew it was a foolish idea but he wanted his kids to be raised at the farm and he was gonna make sure it happened.

With or without everyone else.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: I'm sorry it took so long for an update. I'll try to get the next one out sooner.**_

* * *

Chapter 5

* * *

It had been several weeks since they decided to try to make a home at the Greene farm or the prison and in that time both places had been thoroughly searched.

After a lot of discussion, it was determined that the prison wouldn't be the best choice but there were still a few in the group who thought the farm was too much of a risk so they decided to stay where they were.

Daryl wasn't one of them. He wanted to raise his family on the farm.

* * *

By the time everyone woke up the morning after they decided to stay put, Daryl had packed up everything that belonged to him, Beth and their kids.

The others didn't bother with asking Daryl to stay, they knew he wouldn't.

"I can't believe y'all are actually leavin'," Sasha said as she hugged Beth, "I'm going to miss you."

Beth smiled and returned the hug but couldn't find any words to describe her feelings.

She wanted their entire family to come with them but she was happy to have Daryl and their kids.

Their journey to the Greene farm would be long and hard, especially with just her, Daryl and the kids but in the end, they knew it would be worth it.

* * *

It took nearly a three day walk before they found somewhere to rest.

Traveling was difficult for Beth but she never complained.

They found a little house to stay in for the night and Beth put the kids to bed before joining Daryl by the window.

"How much longer 'til we get there?" she asked him.

He slid his arm around her waist but didn't look at her, "However long it takes. We ain't gon' be travelin' day an' night with tha kids an' 'specially with you bein' pregnant."

Beth smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips before joining the kids in the bedroom.

Sometimes it was hard for her to believe Daryl had never been able to open up to someone with the way he treated her and the kids. It all seemed to come so natural to him.

* * *

Daryl had settled into a chair that was strategically placed in the darkness between the bedroom and the window.

From where he was seated, he could keep an eye on both but still be able to stop someone or something from entering the house.

Somehow, between having to keep watch, Beth coming to check on him and of course his angel Caroline coming to join him and listening to him tell a story, Daryl managed to get an hour of sleep.

He carefully moved Caroline from his lap to the couch before he went to check on Beth and the kids.

Seein' that everyone was fine, he eased the front door open enough he could see. He watched and listened for a few minutes before somethin' grabbed his attention.

He could hear someone talkin'. They weren't close but they were loud which was good because it gave Daryl a way to gauge how close they were getting.

He shut the front door just as quietly as he opened it and then made his way over to Caroline.

He gently nudged her shoulder until she was awake.

"Somethin' wrong daddy?" she said sleepily.

"I ain't sure, baby girl but I need ya ta go wake up yer mama an' tell 'er ta come 'ere."

Caroline did as she was told but nervously started to pace the room while Daryl told Beth about the people he had heard and asked her to make sure all the kids were awake and their stuff was packed in case they needed to leave.

When Beth walked out of the room, Daryl turned his attention to Caroline. He smiled at the way she was pacing but he had to stop her.

"Ya need ta go in tha bedroom," he told her.

"No daddy. I'ma stay with you. I'll help you 'case they're bad people," she said it as sweetly as she could and batted her eyelashes so there was no way he'd tell her no.

"Goddamn it," he mumbled but smiled and shook his head, "Yer too much like ya mama."

He made her hide between the couch and the wall as the voices drew nearer.

There was so little moonlight, he couldn't tell anything about the people but he could watch their figures move carefully about the street.

He watched as they opened the doors on every house but they never fully went inside them.

He lifted his crossbow and took a deep breath as he watched them approaching their house.

He knew that once they felt the resistance at the front door, all bets were off.

They quickly made their way to the front door and pushed on it.

The door opened slightly but not enough anyone could fit or see through.

He heard whispering before there was a knock.

"Daryl? Beth?" they called out.

Caroline jumped up from behind the couch with a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Daddy! It's them," she whispered excitedly.

Daryl lowered his crossbow and removed the barricades before opening the door.

Caroline was the first one out as she jumped up and down and hugged everyone.

* * *

Once they were all inside, Caroline ran to get her mama.

"Mommy, mommy! They're here, they're here!"

Beth was confused, "Who's here?"

Caroline rambled off names while Beth made sure the other kids were back in bed.

Beth smiled brightly when she walked into the living room.

"There's no way I could let my little sister go off and have her baby without me," Maggie said while hugging her.

They all exchanged hugs and greetings before settling in for the rest of the night.

With their family there with them, Daryl joined Beth and the kids in the bedroom.

He was more than happy to see that the rest of their family had decided to join them. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

He knew it'd be hard without them and he was willing to take his chances but having them there meant he wouldn't be alone, he'd have help when it was time for the baby, he'd have help with keepin' watch, he'd have help with runs and gettin' food and he'd have help not only keepin' Beth sane but himself as well.

* * *

It took them nearly a week to get to the Greene farm from the house they had rest in.

They could have made it there sooner but Daryl didn't want to push Beth or any of the children to go faster than they were.

He was perfectly fine with their slow progress.

When Beth saw the farm house for the first time in so long she was in awe.

Everything looked so different but yet it looked the same. It was almost as if it were frozen in time.

After the house was cleared, Beth made her way up to her old bedroom with Daryl and all of the kids following her.

She turned the doorknob and smiled as a tear slid down her cheek.

She was finally home.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: I am incredibly sorry for the long wait for this chapter. The story isn't over yet. Thank you to everyone that has stuck by this story and everyone that continues to read, favorite, follow and review.**_

_**Please let me know what y'all think. (Reviews help keep me inspired.)**_

* * *

Chapter 6

* * *

In the two months since they had returned to the Greene farm, they had part of their fence complete and were working on gettin' the solar panels in place.

Everything was coming along nicely. There hadn't been many walkers come through and it seemed there wasn't any threat from the living. If there was, they would be able to take care of it.

Their main concern was finding medical supplies since Beth was further along and they didn't know exactly how far along she was.

* * *

Beth had been keeping a close eye on Mary-Anne since they were at the camp.

She had had several conversations with her but nothing seemed to jump out to pinpoint what was wrong with her and that worried Beth.

Beth had come to learn that people were good at hiding things about themselves but could a child really be capable of that?

* * *

Beth was sitting on the porch with a cup of tea watching as Daryl, Michonne and Carl taught the kids how to use their knives better.

Mary-Anne was sitting alone, watching them as well.

"Maybe someone else should talk to her," Rick spoke from the front door, startling Beth.

She looked up at him and let out a deep sigh.

"I don't know. She doesn't want to be around anyone but me and she seems to be scared of me," Beth told him as he sat down in the chair next to her.

"Maggie or Sasha could try," he said.

"They can't help," Beth paused and shook her head before she spoke again, "Carol told me about Lizzie. How she was messed up. But I haven't seen anythin' like that with Mary-Anne and neither has she. Mary-Anne is not crazy like that, Rick. She just doesn't do well around so many people."

"I know, Elizabeth."

After a moment of silence, Rick reached over and put his hand on Beth's stomach.

"How's my grandbaby?" he asked.

Beth laughed a little and smiled.

"He is fine," she said with confidence.

"You're so sure it's a boy?"

"Yeah! Everyone thinks it's a girl. Well, except you and Michonne. Neither of you have said what y'all think."

"And we're not going to."

Rick chuckled when Beth rolled her eyes.

"Well, it'll be gettin' dark soon. Why don't you head inside and get comfortable," he patted her arm, "I'll send Daryl in and I'll make sure the kids get to bed."

"Thank you," Beth said sweetly and smiled.

Rick stood and help her out of her chair before going into the yard.

* * *

Beth was already lying in bed when Daryl came inside.

They smiled at each other as he joined her on the bed.

"Food should be ready soon. I'll bring ya some when it is," he whispered as he placed his hand on her stomach and began rubbing it.

"I'm not really hungry," Beth whispered back.

There was no need for them to whisper but they loved the calmness it brought to the moments they shared like this and even though the world outside their bedroom walls is crazy, they want everything to be quiet, calm and loving for their unborn child.

* * *

It wasn't but an hour later when the food was ready and Daryl went downstairs.

Beth made her way to the bathroom for what seemed like the millionth time today. When she returned to the bedroom, Mary-Anne was standing by the door with her stuffed animal hugged tightly to her chest.

"Hey baby girl," Beth smiled lovingly but Mary-Anne made no effort to move.

"Hey, sweetie. What's the matter?"

Mary-Anne lowered her eyes.

"I don't like it here," she mumbled.

"Why don't you like it here, sweetie?"

Mary-Anne's eyes shot up to Beth.

"I wanna go home."

"We are home, baby. This is our home."

"No it's not. I wanna go home! I want my daddy!"

Mary-Anne was full out crying now.

"Your daddy is downstairs," Beth whispered and put her hand on Mary-Anne's shoulder.

"Not him! He's not my daddy!"

Beth jerked her hand away. She was hurt by Mary-Anne's words and she knew Daryl would be hurt by them too but more than being hurt, she was scared.

She was scared to death that the little girl standing in front of her, her very own daughter, wanted to go back to those monsters and was calling that evil man her daddy!

Beth's first thought was to yell at Mary-Anne, to tell her to get out but she didn't. She somehow managed to get on her knees and wrap her arms around her little girl.

"Mary," she whispered again, "please tell me why you want to go back. I need to know why you hate it here, why you hate me."

* * *

Daryl was about to open the bedroom door when he heard Beth and Mary-Anne talking.

He heard Mary-Anne say he wasn't her daddy and as much as it hurt, he pushed that aside.

He had never been one for eavesdropping but he had to this time.

"My daddy said we belong to him, mommy and if you left him, he would hurt us. I don't want him to hurt you, mommy."

"Sweetie, he won't hurt me and he'll never be able to hurt you. He's dead."

"No he's not, mommy. I've seen him. He watches us. I wanna go with him."

Daryl's heart stopped and he was sure Beth's had too.

How could that be possible?

He gutted the man himself. He watched him die and then he killed him again.


End file.
